A sweet tale about mature men finding happiness. It's a quiet and calm story with no big upheavals and little drama. Sure, there are a few hiccups there, on their way to happiness, but it's more of a "let me think about it first" rather than "oh no, whatever we'll do, the world is against us!" thing.

It was actually quite interesting that Nozue was more worried about what would people think of him eating sweets and taking photos and being openly happy rather than stoic and whatnot than he was about what everyone might think of him dating a man. I wonder if that was intentional?

Seeing Takeda Kouhei play Nozue was kinda a whiplash thing for me because the only big part I've seen him in so far was in Kamen Rider Build where he played Grease who went back and forth between a stoic soldier and a fanboy, there was no in-between. And Nozue was neither so it was intriguing to see this side of him as an actor.

Also, I really loved that Takeda Kouhei decided to try out this genre after seeing that his Kamen Rider Build friends - Akaso Eiji & Inukai Atsuhiro - both played in BL dramas already. Nice.

Overall, an understated slice-of-life story. Recommended to those who are fed up with big roller coaster dramas.

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This drama was awesome! Short - only 5 episodes 45 or so minutes each - but so good! It told the story of a special unauthorized police unit nicknamed Diver and the cases they solved.

For me, the main draw was Fukushi Sota as Kurosawa. His Kurosawa was a ruthless genius who had no care for his life or his safety, who focused solely on "eradicating evil" at any cost, including dead bodies if need be. Because once, in the past, he made a mistake and it cost someone dear to him his life. And since then, he had no tolerance for mistakes or bad guys - or corrupt cops.

One thing I didn't like much was the very abrupt ending, that there was no "bridge" between the pier scene and the last scene. It felt like there was so much that the drama skipped. I really wanted to see Kurosawa and Sho bond, Kurosawa telling him the truth about what happened back in the past... And also - how was Kurosawa saved, considering he got shot twice?! Argh!

Overall, a great drama with no fillers. Loved it!

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It took me a while to realize that the "4 Minutes" part of the title meant the EMT rule that if you don't start CPR within the first four minutes after someone stops breathing, there's little to no chance that the person can be saved. Duh!

I loved this drama so much. It tells the story of Mikoto who has the ability to foresee people's death. And he has seen that Sara, his step-sister and also the woman he's been in love with ever since his father married her mother, would die. He's known that ever since he was a kid but now that the date's coming closer, he can't keep the burden to himself anymore and so he tells his family. The drama is actually about how the family - the eldest brother Ren, Sara herself, the youngest brother Ai and Mikoto - deal with it, how it influences and changes their lives.

I loved the Hanamaki family so much! Each of their stories was so interesting and touching and sweet, the way they loved each other and were there for each other, the way they had each other's back, gosh, what a family!

Also, funny thing? This drama features Fukushi Sota (Kamen Rider Fourze), Yokohama Ryusei (ToQger) and Asahi Ito (Lupinranger)!

Overall, a wonderful, touching, emotional journey!

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This drama was one of the best Jdramas I've seen so far. At first, I thought it would be your usual easy and uncomplicated "a student falls in love with his female teacher" story but, boy, was I wrong. It was really, truly amazing!

Why?

Because Junko was very much aware of the fact that a) Kyohei was her student, b) he was underage which meant no, never, not in your dream, it's illegal, I'm not doing it! and c) she was much, much older than him - 16 years! - which she never let him forget and even after he turned 18 and after he got accepted into the Todai university and after he openly confessed his feelings for her, she made sure, double sure, triple sure that he knew what he was doing, getting involved with her, what it would mean, their age gap among other things, she made sure he actually thought it through, that it wasn't just some boyish crush or temporary fancy. That was fantastic!

And because the friendships were just ah-amazing. Like between Junko and her nightclub owner friend Miwa - Miwa was always first and foremost on Junko's side! Or Kyohei's "delinquent" friends - the way they wholeheartedly supported his drive to get into Todai, the way they defended him against their schoolmates when his politician father got into trouble! And then Kyohei, Masashi and Yamashita!

The relationship among these three was simply fantastic. They were all rivals for Junko's attention but both Masashi and Yamashita really supported Kyohei's dream to get into Todai, they helped him and they took care of him - and when Junko rejected them, both Masashi and Yamashita stood by Kyohei, they wanted Junko to get together with him, they went as far as actually telling Junko to choose Kyohei and warning her that she would regret it if she didn't...

And the ending!!! That was *chef's kiss*

It was so good! It was inspiring and satisfying and there were no truly bad characters in this, just flawed people who learned and grew and it was fantastic to watch!

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Oh, this movie was wonderful. Truly wonderful. Sweet and touching and heartbreaking and just... so lovely. And Yokohama Ryusei as Rui simply shined here.

Rui's story was so sad. He made mistakes, terrible mistakes, and he paid for them harshly and just as he was about to start a new life, it all went to hell again, courtesy of Machida Keita's big bad, Kyosuke. Ouch.

The love story between Rui and Akari was so beautiful. Two people down on their luck finding each other and making do and becoming happy, it made my heart swell three sizes. Akari was simply amazing and her love for Rui - and his for her - was just... wow.

There weren't many people who truly loved Rui, besides Akari there were only two who wanted the best for him and who did not want to use him - the nun at the orphanage and his coach at the gym - and I loved both of them. The last time Rui and the coach saw each other broke my heart...

This movie pushed all my buttons, like all of them. It was so good!

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Oh, this was wonderful. The story was so interesting, the idea of realizing that the woman you fell in love with twice in your past lives already was a man this time. In my opinion, Yeon Seok's "gay panic" was fantastically played and written - and also understandable. After all, in this life, his last life, he worked towards one goal: finding Ha Yeon and making sure he spent his life with her. So, to find out that SHE was actually a HE this time... Understandable panic.

Though I do admit that I wished that both Yeon Seok's & Ha Yeon's background was a little more fleshed out. Especially Ha Yeon's because his issues - especially the thing with his apparently rather controlling father - were only hinted at. I wished the last part was a bit longer, that the drama was 8 episodes instead of 6 and that we were given more about Ha Yeon.

And since we weren't, I couldn't help but side with Yeon Seok after the Big Reveal(TM). Because I didn't understand what was so terrible about his actions. And the fact that Ha Yeon ran and refused to listen to Yeon Seok and yet, he expected Yeon Seok to KEEP running after him and to KEEP trying to explain... That irked me. Because Ha Yeon accepted that no meant no, that Ha Yeon didn't want to be with him and didn't want to ever see him again. He accepted and respected it because he blamed himself for Ha Yeon's pain, so...

Overall, a really good and for its genre original story that deserved more time and space.

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This was amazing! I was drawn in from the very first episode and I just couldn’t. stop. watching! I burned through this drama in just a few days, that rarely happens to me. But it was so compelling, the stories, the acting, the cinematography, the music… It was the full package!

My favorite part was definitely the deep friendship and trust that developed between Shen Yi & Du Cheng. Du Cheng started as Shen Yi’s, well, enemy is a strong word but definitely as someone who did not like Shen Yi all that much. And by the end, he laid down his life and his future in Shen Yi’s hands with absolute, unhesitant trust. It was truly a thing of beauty.

Also, what I loved was that both Shen Yi & Du Cheng were very, but very smart people, each in his own right. That Du Cheng wasn’t just Shen Yi’s plus one, his caretaker, the way these dramas about gifted individuals sometimes go.

Interesting, at least for me, was that one of the tensest moments of the whole drama was the speed chess game between Shen Yi and the main bad guy, that cat and mouse game where you didn’t know who was the cat and who the mouse. It reminded me so much of the amazing poker game scene between Bond and Le Chiffre in Casino Royale!

And then the ending! The set-up for something more! I really truly hope that there actually will be S2, that it won’t fall under the table like the sequels to SCI or When a Snail Falls in Love. That would irk me!

Overall, a fantastic, amazing, captivating drama!

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This drama reminded me of Fishbowl Wives, just without all the cheating and with focus on the husbands - the househusbands, that is. Each of the six episodes introduced us to a different couple and the whole series was framed by the story of the main couple, of the main househusband, Riku, played by Kousei Yuki.

Out of the 5 couples that we got to know - besides the main one - I liked the YouTube one best. The househusband, Haru, was played by Okuno So and it featured my favorite trope, older woman & younger man. In this case quite a lot younger. But the love he had for his wife was just... mwah! It made me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

Overall, it was a really interesting series because each of the couple was different, each man's reason for becoming a househusband was different. And it also dealt with how househusbands in general were viewed in the society, as bums and leaches, and how it was for the men themselves, how some were embarrassed, some were proud... Quite an intriguing concept.

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This movie was quite funny and lighthearted. It was set during the drama so it carried the unbothered, relaxed tone of the first half of the series. Also, I haven't seen Kyuranger so... no idea what was happening with that part of the movie ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Some of the most hilarious moments?

When Kairi, Touma and Umika were kidnapped by those funny aliens and Kairi's reaction was, "Oh, look, they're kidnapping us."
During one of the fights, when Keiichiro went all head first again and Kairi saved his life, complaining, "Well, that was even more reckless than usually, officer!"
When Kairi, Touma and Umika had to use the Patrenger VSs and transformed into cops! The way the Patrenger suits just didn't sit right with them, being build for fighting instead of agility.
When the Kyuranger green girl told Umika that there were 12 of them altogether! And Umika was all, "Seriously?!" while Kairi's reaction was, "A whole crayon set!" I seriously guffawed.

I had really fun watching this. It made me smile.

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This drama was awesome. Sure, it was silly - it is a show for kids, after all - but the story it told, its characters and the relationships between them, that was all so fascinating!

What I loved best about the whole thing was that they were pirates! Not high school kids, not university students but space pirates! And they were adults and they all went through terrible, horrible traumas in the past and they had absolutely no one but each other. That turned the found family trope up to eleven! All they had were each other and the galeon and Tori the mechanical not-bird. They lived together and they ate together, they planet-hopped together and they went on space adventures together... and they fought the Evil Empire(TM) together.

Out of the whole crew, I loved Captain Marvelous and Joe Gibken and their unbreakable bond best, of course. The way they always gravitated towards each other, the way they trusted each other, the way they kept each other safe... That was a thing of beauty!

I loved this drama. I honestly did. From the story it told, over the catchy, catchy tunes - Let's Go! Let's Gokaiger! - to the actors. It made me very, very happy. And very, very mushy when it ended.

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Kamen Riders vs. Super Sentai. And really, truly, honestly a fantastic movie! Not only did it showcase great battle moments - like between Fourze & Meteor (Kamen Rider Fourze) - it also featured storylines between Tsukasa & Kaitou (Kamen Rider Decade) and Marvelous & Joe (Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger) that carried the whole thing. It also introduced me to so many teams that I didn't know but now I want to!

My favorite thing was, of course, the storyline that focused on Joe and his bond with Marvelous. Joe's grief, his trust in Marvelous and then his despair when Marvelous betrayed that trust, that was so... wow. I did miss some fallout of that, true, but this is a kids movie, after all.

My favorite moments?

When Tsukasa's henchmen almost killed Joe and Marvelous stepped in at the very last moment and saved his life. It didn't exactly fall into Marvelous' plan but he couldn't just let them kill Joe, after all.

When Marvelous betrayed Joe and Kaitou - Kaitou!!! - stepped in and protected Joe from him. Kaitou's "He's been hurt enough!" made me squee on the inside!

And then, when Kaitou was leaving and his last goodbye was for Joe - and Joe returned it. That was simply perfect, the cherry on top.

Also, the combined robot creature? It was actually scary O.O Wow!

This movie made me very, very happy!

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This was once again... well, something. Definitely something. I guess the whole Gintama concept is an acquired taste but I have to admit that the humor isn't for me. I only watched Yoshizawa Ryo's scenes and everything else I whooshed through at 3x speed. It was simply too cringey.

But Yoshizawa Ryo's Okita Sougo was... wow. He was amazing here. And his fight with the traitors was just about perfect, especially once Kagura joined in. The way they fought side by side and around each other like they were used to it, so perfectly in sync. That was so cool!

I must say I didn't recognize Miura Haruma - *heart-clench again* - as Ito. True, I've only seen one drama of his so far but I really didn't recognize him. He looked so different, wow.

To sum it up, movie #2 was miles better than #1, mainly because of the much bigger involvement of the Shinsengumi in general and of Sougo in particular. Still, I'm not sure I'll ever re-watch it, bar Ryo's scenes, of course. Those are really worth re-watching!

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Choi Woo Shik is honestly the cutest. And such an amazing actor! I think my favorite moments in this drama were his "quirky" reactions to pretty much anything. But the best part? Woong and his parents. There was so much love and affection and respect and I think theirs was the best family dynamic I've seen in a long time.

I must admit, though, that I liked the first half of this drama better than the second one. IMO, it was funnier and it kept me on the edge of my seat, the push and pull between Woong and Yeon Soo, the will they won't they was polished to perfection. Once they got together, though, it just... lost something. It was still very good, don't get me wrong, and the actors were keeping the standard high but some of the, well, spark was gone.

Some of my favorite moments were when Woong was sick and laid his head in his mother's lap. Or when she and Woong talked about Woong knowing about his past at the end. Or the genuine care that Woong showed to Ji Woong when Ji Woong was sick. Or... well, like I said, pretty much all Choi Woo Shik's scenes, what can I say. He's a truly marvelous actor!

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At first, I wasn’t entirely sure if this drama would be for me. The main heroine, Sayaka, was really pathetic. I don’t like saying things like that and especially about women but she really was. She let her ex-fiancé treat her like dirt and it was painful to watch. But then I realized that, similar to Please Love the Useless Me, this was a drama about the journey to self-discovery. And in that way, it didn’t disappoint.

One of the things I loved most was Sayaka’s relationship with her boss, which was entirely platonic, but their friendship was simply amazing, the way he supported her, guided her and trusted her, it was perfect.

Another thing I loved was that Yuichi, Sayaka’s love interest, had a story of his own. He wasn’t just Sayaka’s plus-one. When it came to his arc, I loved the exploration of his relationship with his dad best. Because the man seemed so cold and ruthless - but he adored his son and he was only so harsh because he didn’t want his son to go through the same hardships that he went through.

My favorite moments happened in the finale. When Sayaka faced Yuichi’s father and he told her how it was, without mincing his words. Gosh, when he told her that Yuichi was simply too kind to succeed in the merciless world of business… Or when Sayaka’s boss fought for her and Yuichi’s happiness, first telling Yuichi that he could do it, that he could start his own company and succeed if he tried hard enough which was what Yuichi needed to hear, then telling Sayaka that as a freelance writer, she could work from anywhere and that as long as she wrote good articles he would keep on her staff her but Yuichi needed to be in India which was what Sayaka needed to hear.

Overall, it was a wonderful drama. And actually informative with all the info about fashion!

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Tomodachi Game or Friends Game is a very short drama, only 4 eps 20+ min. each, and it has an open ending because there are 2 movie sequels. Nothing much happens in this drama and you really have to suspend your disbelief a lot but...

Holy smokes is it suspenseful! And the suspense doesn't result from heavy action or a bloody massacre but from a very simple question: Can you trust your friends?

The setting is simple: Five friends are set up to play a game. If them win, they can go back to their everyday high school life. But should they lose, they will have to shoulder a 200 mil. yen debt. Winning is easy - if you can trust your friends not to betray you. But money is... money and their initial trust quickly starts to crumble.

Yoshizawa Ryo absolutely slays it as the lead, Katakiri Yuichi. Not only is he insanely pretty - like GOODNESS GRACIOUS pretty - he carries the whole drama because we watch it from his POV, he's the only one we can be sure of.

This drama also features Yamada Yuki. Playing a genius student, the top of the class. Heh!

The drama shows only the set-up and the first game, though, and to settle the debt, the five friends have to pass - and win - three games. Thus the open ending. I guess the first sequel features the first game and the second movie the second one? Probably? Anyhoo, it's better to have both movies handy because the drama ends on a cliffhanger.

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